Originally, it was gold that brought settlers to the Fairview area near Oliver. Fairview was one of British Columbia’s largest towns at the turn of the 19th century, but the gold dried up and so did the town.

Like a lot of the winegrowing areas of the Okanagan, Oliver got its start growing fruit with an enormous irrigation project (completed in 1923) that turned the Sonora Desert into lush orchards.

The grape growing area just south of Oliver is called the Golden Mile, named for the agricultural richness of the land. The area that holds 10% of the country's wineries and roughly 60% of British Columbia’s grape-growing acreage.

From Oliver, take 97TH ST/PROVINCIAL ROUTE 97S to visit Tinhorn Creek Vineyards.

Tinhorn Creek is located along a former gold-mining creek, named for gold miners drawn to the area looking to make a quick fortune.

Follow the WINE ROUTE markers and turn right off PROVINCIAL ROUTE 97 S on ROAD 7 to visit Tinhorn Creek.

Tinhorn Creek offers a self-guided tour of the winery and vineyard and for active wine tasters have developed two hiking trails (10km and 2km) that take hikers past the ruins of the old gold mine. Along with wines that have collected more than 200 national and international awards, Tinhorn Creek also sells some picnic/deli items and has a picnic area with a gorgeous view–a great place to stop for a do-it-yourself lunch.

From Tinhorn Creek, return to PROVINCIAL ROUTE 97 S and turn RIGHT to visit Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery. Follow the WINE ROUTE markers and turn RIGHT on ROAD 9 to visit Gehringer Brothers.

Started in 1981, Gehringer was at first known primarily for its Germanic whites-Reisling, Ehrenfelser, Schonburger and Auxerrois.

With the addition of an adjoining vineyard in the 1990s, called Dry Rock, their focus has broadened to include French varietals like Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

From Gehringer Brothers, visit Hester Creek Estate Winery located directly south. Hester Creek is home to some of the oldest vinifera plantings in the Okanagan Valley. The vineyard’s original owner planted them in the 1960s along with a collection of Italian varietals. Of the Italian varietals, only a Trebbiano remains, from which they make both a varietal and dessert wine.

Return to PROVINCIAL ROUTE 97 S and turn RIGHT to visit Inniskillin Okanagan. Look for the WINE ROUTE signs and turn RIGHT on ROAD 11 to visit Inniskillin.

Inniskillin has wineries and vineyards in both the Niagara region of Ontario and British Columbia’s Okanagan. Inniskillin Okanagan was established as an estate winery in 1994 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Inniskillin's first crush.

Inniskillin Okanagan began as a partnership between Inniskillin and the Inkameep Indian Band and its labels were designed to reflect the partnership. They produce a broad range of wines from varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Riesling Icewine and Vidal Icewine. They also produce British Columbia’s only Zinfandel under their Single Vineyard, Silver Label Series.

Return to PROVINCIAL ROUTE 97 S and turn RIGHT to visit Antelope Ridge. Look for the WINE ROUTE signs and turn RIGHT on ROAD 13 to visit Antelope Ridge.

Located high up on a bench of land of material of volcanic origin, Antelope Ridge crafts estate-grown wines that express the terroir of their vineyard site. Descended from 10 generations of French winemakers, Antelope Ridge’s owners chose their 65-acre vineyard site in the Golden Mile after an extensive international search.

Antelope Ridge is the final winery on your tour. If you choose, return to Oliver to visit the Wine Country Welcome Centre, which features both the Toasted Oak Wine Bar and Grill for lunch or dinner and a VQA Wine Store for purchasing hard-to-find wines.

TOTAL DRIVING TIME (ONE WAY): 40 MINUTES
RECOMMENDED TOUR TIME: HALF OR FULL DAY